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Ghanaian Development

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Posted 05 August 2005 - 07:22 AM

The values and beliefs that underpin a culture or a group of people ultimately determine the "performance or lack thereof" of that group of people.

As Ghanaians we need to look at the cultural values and beliefs that underpin our lifestyle. Until we straighten out this core area we will flounder on this national "development" journey that we are on.

We believe and practice too many absurd things....

Bula Matali

"Sometimes the best form of Leadership is Dictatorship" - written by Our famous CONFUSED

Interests:Politics, Business Development, wealth creation. I love people and love to be immersed in the social interests of people. I love history especially African history.

Gender:Male

Posted 05 August 2005 - 04:09 PM

The Components of Black Culture: Values and Beliefs

Rugged Communality

An Individual is part of the communityAn Individual's primary responsibilities are to his family and communityWorking towards Community well being is highly valued and rewarded An Individual cannot control the environment alone without working in harmony with nature and its own time tested rulesLife is not about winning but living a good memorial in the minds of the community (Thats the only way to qualify to be an ancestor)

Winning is not everything No Win/Lose dichotomy Action Orientation with regards to the feelings of others

Must understand and live in harmony with nature Must always do something about a situation in consultation with the bigger familyPragmatic but would accede to what will benefit the community moreThe way and manner of Communication is valued greatly (its the child who knows how to wash his hands well, that eats with the elders).

Exploits the diversity of language and style Oral tradition The young will usually defer to the elderly. Speaking the elderly with Direct eye contact is disrespectfulEncourages physical contact Man is an emotional beingTime is the white man's invention.

Life is lived not spent Doesnt need Holidays bcos there is harmony and peace in own environment

Based on African traditional religion Based on the good lifes of worthy ancestors that passed to the world beyond

Being at peace with all is cardinal. War is only necessary if evil seeks to disrupt good order. Romanticises brave men. Work is part of living.

Working hard does not necessarily bring success. Success is a product of honesty, diligence and the blessings of the creator. Progress & Future Orientation. Earthly life is only a preparation towards a more lasting after life.

Plan for future - future involves life hereafterDelayed gratification if it serves the wellbeing of the larger communityValue continual improvement and progress Emphasis on acquiring time tested principles that have been handed down over the years.

Objective, rational, linear/spatial thinking Cause and effect relationships Qualitative emphasis Status and Power doesnt matter, a good name does.

Measured by the worth of knowledge and good character that he bequeaths Credentials, titles, and positions does not make a manBelieve the tried and tested system of the worthy ancestorsBelieve this system is better than other systems Leaving a good legacy

Family StructureExtended family is the ideal social unit Male is breadwinner and the head of the household Female is homemaker and subordinate to the husband Patriarchal structure Aesthetics

Music and art based on African cultures Women's beauty based on black, full breasted, well shaped hips and buttocks, young with dimples. Has meat on the bones.Men's attractiveness based on athletic ability, power, good natured

ReligionBelief in African TraditionsNo tolerance for deviation from single God concept with the ancestors being the conduit through which access in granted to the Supreme being.

This is Papa Goody's version of the African man.

"A child can play with its mother's breasts, but not its father's testicles" - Guinea.
"When a man is stung by a bee, he doesn't set off to destroy all beehives" - (Kenya).
"The man who marries a beautiful woman, and the farmer who grows corn by the roadside have the same problem" - Ethiopia.
"A short man is not a boy" - Nigeria and "No matter how hot your anger is, it cannot cook yam" - Nigeria.
It requires a lot of carefulness to kill the fly that perches on the scrotum" - Ghana.

Interests:Politics, Business Development, wealth creation. I love people and love to be immersed in the social interests of people. I love history especially African history.

Gender:Male

Posted 05 August 2005 - 05:12 PM

BDoll,

Your insertion is apt. Thanks

"A child can play with its mother's breasts, but not its father's testicles" - Guinea.
"When a man is stung by a bee, he doesn't set off to destroy all beehives" - (Kenya).
"The man who marries a beautiful woman, and the farmer who grows corn by the roadside have the same problem" - Ethiopia.
"A short man is not a boy" - Nigeria and "No matter how hot your anger is, it cannot cook yam" - Nigeria.
It requires a lot of carefulness to kill the fly that perches on the scrotum" - Ghana.

Family StructureExtended family is the ideal social unit Male is breadwinner and the head of the household Female is homemaker and subordinate to the husband Patriarchal structure Aesthetics

The female is also a spiritual and an important person in the family unit. without th efemale a clan would cease.

True dat!The female is the one that keeps it all together. I.E. Big Momma.I believe we all have one of those in the family. Even if she's an aunt or cousin, she still get the title "Big Momma"Definition of Big Momma:caregivermommydaddyteachercounselorbreadwinnergiverhelperpreachernegoiatormediatorfriendadvisorfighterplannercookscleanshas dreams that come to pass, lol...she makes the best cakes too!

I always hear and read how Ghanaians are a friendly, loving people who place a lot of value on family. Yet I also know some Ghanaians who won't answer the phone when relatives call because they say the relatives are only calling for money. Or they no longer associate with their extended families because the extended family never helped them when they needed help, but expect help from this person. (Hope that makes sense, it's hard to keep names out of it)

So do you think colonialism has caused a breakdown of the family values Ghanaians hold dear?

Would you say all the friction between ethnic groups in Ghana were caused by colonialism?

Example:I know an Ewe who doesn't respect/like (not sure if those are the right words for it) Ashanti's because he thinks all they go for is $. He has a superior attitude that Ewe's are all well educated and therefore better. I can't remember what he said about Fante's and Ga's. He doesn't like African Americans calling themselves "African" either. He says they are American because they do not have cultural unity with Africa any more. To me, this is just another form of prejudice - not sure if anyone else sees it that way.

The values I was raised with was that family was everything and came first before anyone else including friends. As women, we were expected to wait hand and foot on the man. The man was the bread winner who worked outside the home and the "little woman" was expected to keep house and take care of the kids. Women and children were to be seen and not heard. In otherwise, in my opinion, second class because if we did speak up to express our opinions, the men always raised their voices louder so we couldn't be heard. The man was the head of the household in an absolute fashion. God forbid my father would ever wash a dish or vacuum! While my father's job ended once he left and he came home, had a beer and put his feet up, my mother's job was 24/7. The only time she got real rest was when she had pneumonia and was hospitalized. Female children were not expected to go to college (which is ironic, because if we didn't bring the top grades home from school, we were grounded and not allowed to play until we studied hard enough to bring the grades up), they were expected to remain home with their parents until they married. Male children were expected to follow in their father's footsteps and to exceed in school. My father is a first generation American - my grandfather was a naturalized citizen from Quebec, Canada.

(I couldn't open the link you posted Bula - my internet at home stinks)

Edited by ReggaeDancer, 05 August 2005 - 06:32 PM.

"You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation." -Plato

"A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like cancer in the bones ..."

Interests:writting, walking, travelling, sex if i have a partner, competitive sports;i.e. netball and go kart racing

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Posted 06 August 2005 - 02:55 PM

RD, i would answer you very shortly, its true that ghanaians place a value on family ties but there is a ghanaian saying which goes .....' efie bia, mensah wom'..... which translates there is a mensah in every house. (mensah is a name which translate also as third born)

This means that as much ghanaians have a trait to be identified with, not every ghanaian would possess this trait.

The Ashanti's look after thier own a lot, they tend to look after thier parents children and thier uncles child where as Fantes who are also akans just like the ahsantis but speak a different dialect of the same language only extend thier family ties to the Nuclear family.

Edited by babydoll1, 06 August 2005 - 02:56 PM.

IF YOU HAVE TO EAT A FROG DONT STARE AT IT TOO LONG. IF YOU HAVE TO EAT TWO EAT THE BIG ONE FIRST.

RD, i would answer you very shortly, its true that ghanaians place a value on family ties but there is a ghanaian saying which goes .....' efie bia, mensah wom'..... which translates there is a mensah in every house. (mensah is a name which translate also as third born)

This means that as much ghanaians have a trait to be identified with, not every ghanaian would possess this trait.

The Ashanti's look after thier own a lot, they tend to look after thier parents children and thier uncles child where as Fantes who are also akans just like the ahsantis but speak a different dialect of the same language only extend thier family ties to the Nuclear family.

Thanks, BDoll - that would explain why when my husband's dad died and they were asked to leave his house, they went with his maternal uncles? My husband's maternal uncles took him in so to speak as he went to work for them after they paid his school fees. (He is an Ashanti)

"You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation." -Plato

"A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like cancer in the bones ..."